Dhaliwal Helps Bring in Motion Asking the Government to Apologize for the Komagata Maru Incident

OTTAWA-Yesterday Member of Parliament Sukh Dhaliwal seconded a motion by his colleague Dr. Ruby Dhalla (Brampton-Springdale) asking the government to officially apologize to the Indo-Canadian community and the individuals impacted in the 1914 Komagata Maru incident.

The Komagata Maru streamliner arrived in Vancouver on May 23, 1914 from India with 376 passengers mostly from the Punjab province of India.  Upon arrival, the Canadian Government erected barriers to stop the immigrants from disembarking and refused them permission to land.   

The passengers were detained in the Vancouver Harbour and forced to live like prisoners, threatened by famine and disease for two months.  Except for 24 passengers that were given permission to stay in Canada the Komagata Maru and its passengers was forced to leave Canadian waters on July 23, 1914. Upon arrival back in India some of these passengers were subsequently killed and imprisoned.

 ”The Komagata Maru incident is a black mark in Canada’s history.  It is a powerful symbol of the injustices that have occurred and the policy of exclusion that existed for immigrants entering Canada on the basis of culture, religion and skin color.  As a country of equality, acceptance and opportunity this dark chapter needs to be brought to an end,” Dhaliwal said.

Last summer Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with Indo-Canadian community leaders in Surrey and called the Komagata Maru incident as a “source of sorrow” and promised to “undertake consultations with the Indo-Canadian community on how best to recognize this sad moment in our history.”  Unfortunately no progress has been made and no apology received.

A year ago Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion committed a future Liberal Government to an official apology for the Komagata Maru incident.

Dhaliwal has continuously called for the government’s recognition and apology for the tragedy and has supported the Professor Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation at local gatherings to commemorate the incident. “It is the right thing for the government to apologize at this point in time and make all Canadians proud that we care about all communities and that we treat every community equally.” said Dhaliwal.

Sukh Dhaliwal is the Member of Parliament for Newton - North Delta and the Opposition Critic for Competitiveness and the New Economy.

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For more information, please contact

604-506-0735
DhaliS1B@parl.gc.ca